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Tips to keep your Black Friday plumber free
Apparently, the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers, many of whom are called in due to problems associated with the kitchen sink.
InSinkErator, the world’s largest manufacturer of food waste disposers, says it receives 43 percent more calls on that day. Don’t assume your disposer can grind anything. Turkey bones, potato peels and coffee grounds are particularly bad.
Here are some dos and don’ts from InSinkErator:
Don’t put grease or fat down the disposer, or any drain. It can build up in pipes and cause blockage. Instead, pour it into a glass or tin container, and then discard waste in the trash once it solidifies.
Do grind hard materials such as small bones, fruit pits and ice. Contrary to what you might think, it’s good to grind these types of items in your disposer because it helps scrape the inside of your pipes and disposer, removing any build up that might be there, such as grease build up.
Do have a container for dirty silverware so that guests do not toss their utensils in the sink. Glass, plastic, metal or other non-food materials can seriously damage the disposer.
Do run cold water down the drain for 30 seconds before and after disposer use to flush the food waste through the plumbing system and keep debris from settling in the pipes. Hot water can melt fatty/greasy waste and allow it to re-solidify, which may lead to jams and clogs.
Don’t hurry through clean-up as this is one of the main reasons users overfill or jam their disposers - simply because they are not paying attention.
Don’t use your disposer like a garbage can. Avoid letting items like tea bags, bread ties and bottle caps fall into the sink as they can easily run down the drain and cause jams.
Do grind lemons and other citrus fruits. This will give your disposer a fresh scent.
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By Emily
November 26, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
Hehehehe. I thought you were going to say it was the result of problems with people’s toilets.